US, Europe considering sanctions on Kiev leaders

Wednesday

Feb 19, 2014 at 1:11 PMFeb 19, 2014 at 1:11 PM

Following the deadly clashes in Ukraine's capital, the Obama administration and European governments are talking about imposing punitive sanctions, the Kremlin has blamed the West for stirring up trouble and the pope has issued a special appeal for peace.

The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — Following the deadly clashes in Ukraine's capital, the Obama administration and European governments are talking about imposing punitive sanctions, the Kremlin has blamed the West for stirring up trouble and the pope has issued a special appeal for peace. A roundup of Wednesday's international reactions:

EUROPEAN UNION

EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso expressed "shock and utter dismay" at the violence that erupted Tuesday in Kiev, blaming Ukraine's political leadership and predicting the 28-nation EU will impose sanctions as a result.

"We therefore expect that targeted measures against those responsible for violence and use of excessive force can be agreed by our member states as a matter of urgency," Barroso said in a statement.

EU foreign ministers were summoned to an emergency meeting in Brussels on Thursday to decide on the bloc's course of action. Barroso's office said he also phoned Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to warn that the EU will "react firmly to the deterioration of the situation."

RUSSIA

The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed the West for the escalation of violence and called on the Ukrainian opposition to work with the government to find an exit from the crisis. It said the West has fueled the violence by failing to clearly condemn the radicals who attacked police.

"What's going on is the direct result of the policy of connivance on behalf of Western politicians and European structures, which from the very start of the crisis have turned a blind eye to the aggressive actions of radical forces in Ukraine, encouraging them to engage in escalation and provocations against the legitimate government," it said.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia views the developments in Ukraine as a "coup attempt." He denied Putin was giving Yanukovych any advice on how to handle the crisis, and said it is up to the Ukrainian government to determine the course of action to defuse the crisis.

UNITED STATES

The Obama administration raised the prospect of joining partners in Europe to impose sanctions against Ukraine. Secretary of State John Kerry, in Paris for meetings with the French foreign minister and other officials, said he was disturbed by the level of abuse demonstrated by the Ukrainian government and protesters.

"We are talking about the possibility of sanctions or other steps in order to create the atmosphere for compromise," Kerry said. He said the situation is bad but that there's room for dialogue and that it's up Yanukovych to decide the future of his country

President Barack Obama, meanwhile, was en route to a summit with the leaders of Mexico and Canada. He likely will comment publicly on the situation later Wednesday, Ben Rhodes, a deputy U.S. national security adviser, told reporters on Air Force One.

"We continue to watch events very closely ... and we've made clear that we will consider taking actions against individuals who are responsible for acts of violence within Ukraine," Rhodes said. "We have a tool kit for doing that that includes sanctions."

Rhodes said there was still time for the Ukrainian government to avoid sanctions or other punishment by pulling back its "riot police," respecting people's right to protest peacefully, releasing protesters who have been arrested and pursuing a "serious dialogue" with the opposition about how to unify the country.

GERMANY and FRANCE

At a joint news conference in Paris, French President Francois Hollande vowed that those who started the deadly violence in Ukraine "will be sanctioned," while German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the need for dialogue "because only political dialogue can really bring political progress"

Hollande said the sanctions to be considered by EU foreign ministers must be "targeted, specific and gradual to weigh on the process" of ending violence. They must be aimed at those who started the "intolerable acts," he said, adding that identifying those responsible takes time, raising the question of whether immediate EU measures are feasible.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters that he and his counterparts from Germany and Poland would travel to Kiev to meet with Ukrainian government officials and opposition leaders before the EU meeting Thursday. Poland's foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, posted on Twitter that he was already en route for Ukraine's capital.

SWEDEN

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said in a Twitter post on Wednesday: "We must be clear: Ultimate responsibility for deaths and violence is with President Yanukovych. He has blood on his hands."

VATICAN CITY

Pope Francis issued an appeal for peace in Ukraine at the end of his general audience on Wednesday, speaking to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. "With a troubled soul, I am following what is happening these days in Kiev," he said. "I assure my closeness to the Ukrainian people and pray for the victims of the violence, for their relatives and for the injured. I invite all sides to stop any violent action and to look for harmony and peace in the country."

ITALY

Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino joined European colleagues in a renewed appeal to Ukrainian authorities for the end of "violent, indiscriminate and disproportional reactions to people's protests, which must be carried out peacefully, within the confines of legality." If violence continues, he said, "we don't exclude the recourse to exceptional restrictive measures."

CZECH REPUBLIC

The government said it was in favor of EU sanctions against Kiev. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Ukraine's president should be one of those targeted.

"Mr. Yanukovych is a key government representative of Ukraine," Sobotka said.

ROMANIA

Romanian President Traian Basescu warned the protests in Ukraine could spread instability throughout the region, particularly in neighboring Moldova.

"I want you to understand that the destabilization of Ukraine is not serious just for Romania, but the whole of Europe will be affected," Basescu said, adding that he had passed on his concerns to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Barroso, the EU commission president.

Basescu also said Romania would be willing to take in refugees from the crisis.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Members of the parliament, based in Strasbourg, France, adopted a non-binding resolution urging EU member nations to prepare sanctions such as freezing assets of "Ukrainian officials, legislators and oligarchs personally responsible for the attacks on and deaths of protesters."

CANADA

Canada closed its embassy in Kiev after protesters entered the building on Tuesday amid the violent crackdown outside.

Adam Hodge, a spokesman for Canada's foreign affairs minister, said Wednesday the embassy would be closed until further notice as a security precaution, and to ensure the protection of staff. Canada has also threatened sanctions.